GRIP The School (GTS) is an initiative dedicated to assisting Chicago’s under-resourced public schools–cultivating adult/youth Life-on-Life relationships to create a safer and more effective learning environment for our teens. These relationships then extend outside the walls of the school to engage students in their homes, churches, and communities.

During the global pandemic, Chicago Public Schools have closed school buildings and students have moved to remote learning. In response, we’ve created Study Squads—mobilizing mentors to meet with students to assist in remote learning throughout the day, and ensuring continued engagement in the learning process.

As GTS mobilizes churches to serve local schools, hallways are saturated with people and resources to meet the practical needs of the school. GTS connects volunteers to teach after-school courses, assist teachers and administrators both inside and outside of the classroom, implement security, orchestrate school-wide assemblies, lead small group lunchroom discussions, teach the creative arts, coach sports teams, and connect students with positive extracurricular activities,
such as our SLAM program.

GRIP not only has presence in two of Chicago’s under-resourced high schools, but also continues to train dozens of churches and youth organizations throughout the city and elsewhere to engage public schools within their communities–resulting in the further growth of Life-on-Life relationships.

2020 GRIP THE SCHOOL BY THE NUMBERS

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Youth Reached

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Volunteers Mobilized

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Life-on-Life Hours Spent Between
Youth And Mentors